Why You Should Arrive Early for Skating Performances

Christina (8) (on right) and other skaters ready for their Pops on Ice performance, 1998.

Competitions, test sessions, and exhibitions can be stressful at times, especially if you’re running late. Here are some tips for less stress before performance and reasons why it’s important to arrive early for skating performances.

Allow plenty of time to warm up off ice.

Allow enough time to complete makeup, hair style, and get costume on. (If you didn’t arrive with this already completed, it’s a good idea to schedule extra time for this.)

Exhibitions, test sessions, and competitions run early at times.

Skaters may withdraw from events, making the event run early.

It’s always a good idea to leave plenty of extra time for traffic, weather conditions, or other uncontrollable circumstances.

It’s important to double check that you have skates, costumes, music, etc., before leaving. However, if you arrive early and find something is left behind, there may be enough time for a parent or someone else to retrieve the item

Also, it’s a good idea to check the schedule of the performance the day before and day of, to ensure you’re up to date with any changes. It will definitely make a less stressful performance if you know of any changes beforehand.

You never know what could happen, so it’s always good to arrive early! It will mean the skater(s), parent(s), and coach will have less stress, too! I’d love to hear if you have any pre-competition or performance routines!